Muffin Mania.

I guess you could say I've been on a "muffin" roll this month. Last week Molly Wizenberg of Orangette featured a post on ginger muffins from Marion Cunningham's book entitled The Breakfast Book (which I am squeamishly trying to be patient for as I placed it on "hold" at the library). In the meantime, though I was pleasantly pooped after attending a book club meeting, Sunday evening I made a batch of these spicy and energetic little muffins.

At first I was a bit concerned with the amount of fresh ginger used in the recipe. I kept reminding myself, that if Molly used that amount, I should use the same amount too. Trust Molly, trust Molly, trust Molly. After this mini-meditation, I plowed through the simple recipe and this is how they turned out:

Allowing them to cool, I sliced one muffin in half and slathered some softened butter on top each half. I have to say it wasn't what I was expecting. Though the batter included a substantial amount of ginger, it wasn't over the top (or over the muffin top, if you're up for a pun). They definitely had a kick to them, but they were bursting with citrus and spice notes (an not overly sweet, which I like). Easy to see why popping another two into your mouth takes no effort. The batter could easily be turned into a quick bread too. Accompanied with a cold glass of milk, these muffins are a great way to start your day or start someone else's day. Consider serving them at a brunch or party as a dessert too.